


Life with the Devil

by Cicironi



Category: Daredevil (TV)
Genre: AU where Fisk comes in way later, AU where foggy already knows Matt is the Daredevil, And about his senses, But barely sleeps, But quickly heals, Character Development, Character returns to herself, Definitely not the reader but that's ok, Did I mention she loves classic rock and rap, Even more boss ass this time, F/M, Freeform, Heals with Matt, Reader goes from fine to emotionally unstable, Reader's generous and kind af, Reader-Insert, Reader-Interactive, Then again who actually sleeps anymore, au where nelson and murdock and karen, if at all, ik it doesnt work bc time lines are a thing but idc, its called an au for a reason, trigger warning, were all formed seven years after high school graduation, with smart phones
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-08
Updated: 2017-10-29
Packaged: 2018-03-29 13:05:44
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence, No Archive Warnings Apply, Rape/Non-Con
Chapters: 5
Words: 22,175
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3897433
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Cicironi/pseuds/Cicironi
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A cool breeze shifts your hair, silently urging you to walk up and knock on the door with the sign "Nelson and Murdock" next to it.</p><p>"Is that a knock I hear?" a muffled, yet familiar, voice calls from the other side.</p><p>His rounded glasses remind you of the ones your grandma used to wear, leading you to the assumption he’s blind. The cane leaning against a nearby desk confirms your theory. His dark hair reflects kindly against the artificial light, showing it’s soft streaks of deep red wine- the stubble on his jaw possessing the same seductive color. A dark red aura of wisdom and lust engulfs him, luring you in.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. The Beginning of it All

**Author's Note:**

> This is really a free-form kind of thing, so you might want to just suspect random updates... I'm writing this to kind of explore the idea of having Matt Murdock in your life.

A cool breeze shifts your hair, silently urging you to walk up and knock on the door with the sign "Nelson and Murdock" next to it. You haven't heard much of these lawyers, except that they win their cases, and that's all you care about. With nerves still shaking your hands and your heart rate increasing, you hesitantly make your way down the sidewalk to the door. Thoughts race through your mind, questioning your sensibility and whether or not asking strangers for help would be a good idea, but in a moment’s courage, you rape your knuckles against the wooden door.

"Is that a knock I hear?" a muffled, yet familiar, voice calls from the other side.

The door opens, and a tall blonde woman with blue eyes greets you. She looks at you puzzled up and down before stepping aside and allowing you to enter. With one last perplexed glance at you, she stutters, "Hi, I’m Karen. I don’t believe we’ve received any calls from young women today… Can I get your name?”

You thank her and walk in. "I’m (Y/n), I’m so sorry, I didn’t realize I had to call,” you began, “I kinda just find y’all on the internet and decided-wait, Foggy?" Your breath hitches when you recognize a familiar face from across the room- Foggy Nelson, your summertime partner in crime.

"(Y/N)?” he questions, sharing your disbelief, “What are you doing back in New York? Are you visiting your aunt? How have things been?”

You give a dry laugh, realizing how long it’s been since you’ve seen Foggy, and how little he knows about your life now. “Well, I’ve finally done what I always said I’d do: move to New York. I went to my aunt’s about a week ago, but I have my own place now. And if things were going good, I don’t think I’d be here in your office.”

You both laugh, then realize how awkward it is for Karen, but it only gets more awkward when you realize there’s another person standing in the room. Not wanting to be rude, you turn to the man, smile and wave, and say, “Hi, I’m (Y/n). I’m an old friend of Foggy’s, except I didn’t think it’d be him working here.”

"Uh, hi. I'm Matt Murdock." He greets, striding towards you. He takes your hand and shakes it tenderly, but still with strength. His rounded glasses remind you of the ones your grandma used to wear, leading you to the assumption he’s blind. The cane leaning against a nearby desk confirms your theory. His dark hair reflects kindly against the artificial light, showing it’s soft streaks of deep red wine- the stubble on his jaw possessing the same seductive color. A dark red aura of wisdom and lust engulfs him, luring you in.

Your voice hitches in your throat, but you swallow it down, “Nice to meet you. I’m sorry I didn’t call, I didn’t realize I was supposed to. I just needed some help, I have a bit of an issue…”

"You've come to the right place!" Foggy booms theatrically, "Just follow me and we'll discuss everything." he says, leading you to a door.

_Great. I really hope this works._

* * *

 

You sit at a beaten and (almost) broken table across from Matt and Foggy, with Karen standing idly in the corner, a notebook in hand. The dungey smell of mold penetrates your nostrils, and a slight headache begins to grow, but you try to ignore it and focus on the questions.

"Alright, please state your full name.” Matt asked, nodding at Karen to signal her to start writing.

“(Y/n) (M/n) (L/n).” you state.

“Why don’t you start from the beginning? How do you want us to help you?" Matt said.

"Ok,” you begin, “well, someone’s been violating the restraining order I put on them, and the police won’t do anything about it. They attacked me two nights ago, and I fought back, and they pressed charges. They said I initiated it and I need to pay their medical bills, but when I looked at what injuries they claimed I gave them, most of them were bullshit. I can barely afford rent, I could never afford these bills."

“Who attacked you, and can you give me a time and place?”

“My father, it was September 8th at about 11 at night, right in front of the Independence Theater.”  
“When was the restraining order placed?”

“About 7 years ago in June, right after I graduated high school. He’s been violating the restraining order, but they keep finding loopholes. I don’t know why they would, but it’s been happening. You can probably get copies of my reports at the station, but he was violating it on August 24rd, August 31st, and September 7th.”

“Tell me about the night of the attack, starting an hour before and everything following the event.”

“Alright, well I had been in rehearsal for a show I’m in until 10:30, then I stayed after to help clean up until about 10:55. I grabbed my bag and left- I was one of the last people to leave- and I made it to the street corner when someone jumped on me. They started beating me so I grabbed my pocket knife, turned around, and slashed their cheek. They fell into the light and that’s when I realized it was my dad. I tried to take a picture on my camera, but I only got a blurry one, and I couldn’t take any others because I ran out of storage.”

“Are there any key features to help tie the man in the picture to your father?”

“My dad has a black cross tattoo on the back of his neck, and a red snake. In the picture you can see black and red on the side of his neck, but it’s hard to tell if they’re a cross and snake or not. Also, on the right side of his head, he has a scar that’s about six inches long, and you can see part of it in the picture.”

“How much of his body is in the picture, and can you see the injury you inflicted?”

“From his head to his shins, and yeah, you can definitely see where I cut him. Once I got home, I cleared some of my storage and took pictures of my back and sides from where he was hitting me if you want to see those, too.”

“That would be great. If you could print out those pictures or email them to us as soon as you could, it would really help. We’ll also need copies of the medical bills and any of his statements on paper.” Matt and Foggy look at each other, then looked back at you, “I think that’s it, we’ll draw up those police reports for you and see what we can do from there.”

A big, hopeful grin stretches across your face, and you can’t help but burst out, “Thank y’all so much, you have no idea how big of relief it is to get this taken care of. Thank y’all so much!”

Foggy laughs, then stands up and starts walking out of the room with others following him. Reassured, you trailed behind the group and made your way to the front door.

“I seriously can’t thank you guys enough for this, how much is this going to cost?” you implored.

“Don’t worry about it, think of this as an old friend helping out a friend in need.” Foggy grinned. However, bizarre looks from Karen and Matt suggest they think otherwise. You start shaking your head and are about to deny his generosity, but Matt takes him by the arm, “Can you excuse us for a moment, miss?” he half asks, half states. Matt pulls Foggy into the room you just left, with Karen staggering in confusion behind them.

Hearing bits and pieces of their conversation, you stand there awkwardly and decide to plug in your earbuds. One in, one out, _Rock and Roll Fantasy_ taps in your ear at the same beat of, “-she doesn’t have anywhere else to go, she barely has a home,” and “We barely have a home, how can-”. Knowing how your case is about to go, you focus on the music. It sweeps you side by side and your head nods at every beat, but suddenly, new words press in, “-you have no idea how important this is for me, Matt.”, followed by, “Alright, fine, but you’re buying your own damn coffee.”

Everyone steps out of the room, one smiling, one fake smiling, and one half-ass smiling. Foggy steps forth and wraps one arm around yours, declaring, “Congratulations, Miss (L/N), I’ve already won your first case, and we’re about to win you your other!” You can’t help but to laugh with him, but as soon as you open your mouth to deny the free help, he presses his finger against your lips and says, “Uh uh uh, you’re gonna let us work your case for free and there’s nothing you can do about it. I thought after we graduated, I wouldn’t ever see you again, but you’re back!”

You laugh and hug him tightly, trying to blink back tiny pricks of water in your eyes, “Thank you so much, Foggy, I don’t know how I can thank you for this, how I could thank all y’all for this!”

“Would coffee work?” Foggy asks, pushing you back slightly so he could see your face.

“It’d be perfect! What information should I give you for the case? My number, address…?” You inquire, fully pulling away from Foggy and sending a friendly smile to the others.

“Let Karen give you our card and I’ll take the information we’ll need.” Matt added. Foggy, seemingly slightly taken aback, stepped aside so that Karen could hand you their card, while you drew your attention to the devilishly handsome man. Despite your attempts, just looking at him engulfs you. Realizing how childish it is to be attracted to someone you’ve barely even spoken to, you close out any embarrassing thoughts and step towards him.

“Do you need a pen and paper?" He asks, pulling both slightly out of his pocket.

“Yes please, thank you.” you mutter, still tad embarrassed. You both extend your hands, but when you grab the pen and paper, your hands grazed, sending you both into a blush. _Alright, just focus: name, number, email, and address. Nothing special. Just don’t make this awkward._

“Here you go...” you say sheepishly, handing him the pen and paper back. Once again, your hands meet, but this time, he grabs your wrist and uses his other hand to shake your hand, holding you with both hands.

“It’ll be a pleasure working with you, I’m sure Foggy will let me know when we’ll grab coffee.” He almost stutters out. _Cute… wait-STOP. You don’t know him! At least not yet…_

You smile, trying to cover a blush, but Foggy interjects, “That I will! How are you getting home, (Y/N)? Taxi, bus, unicycle…?”  
Laughing, you say, “Oh no, I just walked here,” a look of concern washes over their faces, so you continue, “Don’t worry, I live just about ten minutes away. I’m safe. I’ll see y’all later, and y’all have my number, so just call whenever you wanna work on the case or grab coffee. Have a great day!” You wave and start walking off, smiling at everyone. Partially concerned and confused, they partially smile and wave by before heading back inside, leaving you walking on the streets of Hell’s Kitchen by yourself.


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Your heart slows down, but it's loud enough to hear and to cling on through the black emptiness around you…
> 
> He takes his knife and slits your skin from your shoulders and down to your wrists.
> 
> Don't you need me for your case, Murdock?

" _And more Doctor Who when you return_ "

"Wait, is she or is she not the Doctor?? I need ANSWERS!" you yell at your TV. How could they just leave you on a cliffhanger like that?

***knock knock knock***

"I'm coming!" you shout out, riding from your soft, black loveseat.

The knocking becomes more persistent.

"I said I'm coming!"

You're almost at the door when the knocks turn into beatings against your door.

"Dude what the fuck is your probl- oH SHIT!" you cry out- two giant men dressed in dark clothing with male black masquerade masks kick in your door, holding guns. Who the hell buzzed them up and how did they get past security?  
You scramble backwards, desperately grasping for something to use as a weapon. When there was nothing, you dashed towards your bathroom, locked it, and climbed into a cabinet. There was no time to call the police, so instead, you pull Foggy’s business card out of your pocket and text the number:

**In apartment. 2 men broke in. Get help.**

And send. Perfect timing, because you then heard a beating, crack, and splintering of wood. The cabinet door ripped open and your mouth met with a rag. Thinking it's chloroform, you try to only breath through your nose and attempt to get the rag off you. Your other hand meets with some kind of bottle, but when you desperately try to move your hand and hit them, you realize the heavy weight of your hand and eyelids… Your heart slows down, but it's loud enough to hear and to cling on through the black emptiness around you…

* * *

 

A throbbing headache wakes you up, but dried and stinging eyes keep you from fully waking. _What the hell happened?_... God, it hurts putting words together in your skull place... Wait no. Head.

"Were these damn masks needed? We look fucking gay, like we're about to walk down that damn pride fest- wait I think she's waking up. Get up, you lazy ass!" Some man in the shadows was yelling. Or maybe in the light- you still couldn't tell yet.

Suddenly, a strong hand grabbed right under your cheekbones, with his purlicue wrapping around your chin. He squeezes his hand tight and tugs your face upwards, trying to make you face him. _Dad?_ Maybe it was the way he was breathing on you, or because his fingers were strong but not enough to make bruises, but it takes a second to realize that the hand holding your face ISN'T your father's, and you're not in a familiar situation.

Instead of trying to fight and struggle against someone ten times stronger than you while you're still very weak, you try to wake yourself up more. Chloroform usually takes a few minutes after waking up to give you back your senses, but you don't have a few minutes. You squeeze your eyes shut and hold your breath, then open your eyes and breathe in. After doing this a few more times, your sight is almost completely back and you're more awake.

"What the hell is she doing?" The homophobe from earlier yelled from the other side of the room. You took this time to take in your surroundings:

The room was about twice the size of your apartment and lacked a roof- the crumbling walls and floor were made out of concrete. Only the moon lit the cold, musty room, yet there was still a shadow casting over about half of the floor. Then you remember: chloroform only renders you unconscious for a while, and too much of it can kill- you're not dead, and it was fairly easy waking up, so you can't be too far away.

"I don't know man, just blinking and breathing, I guess.” He slowly slurs. By the moonlight, you can see his eyes are red and baggy, and a small trace of whiskey can be smelled on him if you focus enough.

"Get her to stop, it's annoying as fuck. I'm gonna go get the boss." Homophobe hurls from a crumbled corner. He hoists himself up from a rusty metal chair that scraped against the floor as he moved, and had to duck under the doorway to leave. Well, not a doorway, there's not a door- it's just a rectangular hole in the wall with protruding, rusty metal axles.

“You heard him..." The other man growled. He let go of it, but not without throwing your head back, making it hit the pipe behind you. He trudged to the chair Homophobe just got out of and plopped down, arms crossed and legs spread, nearly half asleep. You use this as an opportunity to start shifting around and testing how much room you have to move. It seems as if your wrists and ankles are tied around the pole by slick cloth, to your advantage, because if you work up enough sweat, you might be able to slip out.

You start trying to loosen the grip around your wrists by slowly pulling them apart and letting the fabric stretch out. This goes on for a few minutes until Homophobe comes in. It's no surprise, but following Homophobe is your father. Still, your breath hitches and a sweat begins to build. He slowly strides towards you with a sickening sweet grin smeared across his face.

"Hey there, princess. Sleeping beauty awake?” He asks mocks with the same disgusting smile. “Lazy ass..." Your father sneers, slapping you across the face with his palm and words.

"Just like the good old times..." You slide under your breath.

"What was that?” He grabs your face like the man before did and leans in closely, letting the spit splatter against your face, “You gotta speak up if you want me to hear." He switches his hands and squeezes even harder, draws his hand, and hurls a fist at your face. He pulls back and does it again- this time, making you spit out blood. He better be glad that you're use to this.

"What the hell do you want?" You grumble, too tired to deal with his shit right now. He slaps your face and and screams at the top of his lungs, "Is that any way to talk to your father?" _Bitch you're not my fucking father, you lost that privilege the day I was born_ … He jumps back, turns around, digs around in his pocket, then charges at you with a knife. He stops right before he's about to stab you and holds the knife there- the blade lingers in front of your nose, his hot breath fogging the shiny metal.

“No sir," you sneer between your gritted teeth, trying to not piss him off even more.

"Good. You learned some manners at that school you ran off to.” He bounces the knife up and down in his fingers and laughs dryly, pulling back. Still gripping the knife, he circles around you, and spits with poison in his dark voice, “You know, you ruined everything when you left. I have a bad reputation now because of you." He punches you from the back of the head, "Not only that, but your mom's man whore broke up with her." Another punch, "She deserved it, all of it. She's nothing. Apple doesn't fall far from the tree, does it?" _I'm nothing like her, you sick son of a bitch._

"I had so much power, but she still wanted to leave me." He starts going for your stomach until all of his physical stress depletes. Not able to gasp for air, you hunch over and try not to throw up. You still remember the last time that happened. With a hard pat on the back, he continues, "Her loss. She didn't even want to take you with her when she left. You were too clingy, too needy- your own mother didn't even want you. But you left before she could.”

Without warning, he runs around the pole and screams in your face with absolute hatred and madness, “Do you get how pitiful that is? You see all these dying people, they have people crying over them, killing themselves to be with them again. We never even wanted you. You were a mistake. And look at what you’ve done to your mother- you took her body. No matter how many times I tried, you never died, but I'm going to make sure you will tonight." He wipes the spit from around his mouth, and screams one more time before breaking down into laughter. The laughter penetrates your mind and echoes through, flooding you with thoughts over every other time he’s laughed like that. Your ears ring and the pressure makes your head feel like it’s about to explode. You cry out. Suddenly, his cackling drops, and he strides toward you. His stride turns into a mad run, and he begins beating you senseless in your face and stomach, then starts kicking you. He grabs onto his knife tightly. Memories start creeping up like demons in the night, along with your pain and guilt.

"Shut up, you stupid bitch" He screams in your face. A tear slips from your eye, “Besides, I can’t kill you yet. The fun’s only started.” Every wall in your mind you’ve built over the years smashes to pieces- then you begin to sob uncontrollably. "You're already crying,” He sneers, “You haven't even lasted that long, I knew you'd break." He takes his knife and slits your skin from your shoulders and down to your wrists. The bloody knife finds its way to your face and begins to press hard underneath your cheekbone, nearly breaking the skin.

"I haven't even brought up what's happened with your mom. You already know that Rick broke up with her, who'd blame the dick? But do you know why? He got bored with her. After his fun nights with you, your mom was nothing compared to you. She's too used and dirty. You know how Rick likes his virgins." He spits at virgins. You can't even cry right now- you’re out of tears.

He starts to edge the knife deeper, to the point where the tiniest bit of blood trickles. He takes it out and slices your stomach. Not deep, but just hard enough to draw blood.

"You remember those nights, right? I remember them. Way better than any football game I could find on TV. I remember standing out the window on the balcony when your mom was passed out drunk, and Rick coming into your little 7 year old girl bedroom and started beating you and gagging you. When he started ripping your clothes off and tying you to your bed. I couldn’t help but thinking of all the times I’ve done the same-" With a thundering crack, your father’s body falls to the floor. Your eyes are glued shut, but the noise is too recognizable.

The man in the chair jumps up following the dicks' shriek, followed by Homophobe. The same figure that took down the dick jumped back up and gave one of the men a swift kick in the head and punch to their face. He continued to beat the shit out of the two guys until they were both knocked out. Mystery man started walking in your direction. Looking at the situation, you would've been crying of happiness, but all you're seeing are flashbacks. Every night Rick was with you came flooding through your head. Every time Rick came into your bedroom. Every time he walked towards you. Every time you cried and screamed, but your mom ignored it, or was to drunk to acknowledge it. That's all you see and it's bleeding into reality. You don’t see a night and shining armor walking your way, you see Rick.

When mystery man gets close to you, you scream and try to get away, but your hands are still bound together like they were those horrible nights. He sees your agony, and it infuriates him more. The mystery man grabs your half unconscious father and throws him into the air, then slams him into the nearest wall.

"Give me one good reason not to kill you right here, right now." Mystery man growls in his face.

"Don't you need me for your case, Murdock?" The dick laughs. _Murdock_. Despite not being able to differentiate between reality and memories, you hear it. _Murdock_. That's all you do: hear it. You don’t process or believe it until Matt speaks again.

"How do you know about me?" Matt barks at your abuser.

"It's easy, I was just following (Y/N) and saw she went to your office. The only difference between you now and then is you're wearing black clothes and a mask. I had a feeling you were going to be trouble, so I had my men do research. Quite a few things turned up. How's your friend Franklin doing? I hear he has a thing for-" Matt starts beating him senseless. Looks like he made the last crack that broke the dam. At least the pounding Matt gives your father pulls you out from your trance. Mostly.

"I'm not going to kill you. I'm not that kind of person. I want to so badly right now, but not in front of (Y/N). I'm not going to kill you, but I'll get close to it." Matt growls in a deep voice, then starts beating him again. Punch after punch... You watched as the man who hit, kicked, starved, neglected, abused, tortured, and stabbed you felt some of the pain you've felt from his hand. You couldn't soak it in enough. You've always imagined being the one to get him back... You never would've been able to. No matter how much you would want to at times, you've always known you could never actually hurt someone like that. But now, you don't have to have that gnawing feeling; you're watching your lawyer beat the shit out of him. Finally, Matt drops him and kicks him one last time.

He comes over to you and gently raises your head, earning a yelp before you yank your head away out of instinct. He withdraws his hand and starts whispering "It's going to be ok, (Y/N). I'm going to get you out of here. Everything's going to be ok." He goes to untie you and feels around your hand to find the tie, but you rip away from him. Matt backs up and waits for you to loosen up a bit before he tries again. This time, he's closer to the actual tie. After a moment, your hands are free, but burn horribly. Their redness shows how raw they are, and you have to slowly bring them to your chest to avoid any extra pain. Matt leans in closely and cradles your face. At first you resist, but he's a great comfort, so you lean into his hand. He softly whispers in your ear, "Everything's going to be ok, but I need you to untie your ankles for me. Can you do that?"

You nod, but your hands start to shake, followed by the rest of your body. You've been sitting on your feet for a while now, so you untuck yourself and start untying your ankles carefully. It burns so bad... With each motion of your body, you jolt. No matter how fast or how slow you go, the pain’s just the same. After what feels like a thousand years, you're finally free of the clothes you now recognize as one of you mom’s old shirts. Still in shock of everything from the past hour, you sit there and try to process all of the information you just got. Your father just tortured and tried to kill you in. Your lawyer, dressed in all black, nearly killed him and your two captors. Matt almost killed him for your sake.

Matt comes to you while you're in mid thought-he bends down and slides one arm under your knees, and his other arm under your shoulder blades. He starts to rise up, but you think of earlier today when you first got taken, and you jump. He stops and waits until you calm down before trying to pick you up again. This time, you don't resist. You're in too much pain.  
He puts his lips to your temple and starts whispering more things to you. You start to feel safe. Sure, you don't know Matt well, but aside from Foggy, you don't know anyone who would do for you what Matt just did. God, you're tired, so so tired... You can barely keep your eyes open.

"Go ahead, go to sleep. You'll be ok" You hear in the darkness that's overcomed you. You close slowly close your eyes and slip into a pain relieving sleep.


	3. Chapter 3

You wake up feeling completely numb.

"-shit, Matt, I've known her since the ninth grade and I never knew any of this. I were there, I would’ve beaten him to death..."

"I know, I almost did myself. (Y/n) was practically half dead when I got there. I should’ve gotten there sooner, I can’t imagine what would have happened to her if I get there a minute later...."  _ Matt? Foggy? _

"You have got to stop blaming yourself for these kinds of things. How the hell were we supposed to know her dad was this crazy? You can't keep thinking of the 'what ifs'."

"But I have to, Foggy. Right now he could have men releasing information about the Daredevil and we wouldn't even know it."  _ I almost forgot Matt was the Daredevil... _

"I get your point, but- hold on I think she's waking up. (Y/n)? (Y/n), are you there?" Foggy asks. He grabbed your face in a more gentle way your dad did...  _ No, I’m not going to think like that, Foggy would never hurt me. Maybe. No! _ To keep yourself from going on any longer, you just pull away gently.

"What the hell kind of question is that, I'm laying on something right in front of you, of course I'm here!" You yawn. _Even half dead I'm still a sarcastic little shi-_ _oh_ ** _FUCK_**.

All the pain crashes through the numbness. Matt notices and leaves the room, returning with a glass of water and a bottle of ibuprofen. With a shaking hand and the support of Matt’s hand on the back of your head, you swallow down the two large pills. The water strikes the back of your throat and you choke on it, not realizing how dry your throat was.  _ Did I eat the Sahara desert?? _ Gaining more control of yourself, you take the water and pills down all the way. Foggy rushes towards you and takes the glass out of your hand, setting it on the coffee table in front of you.

Fighting for dominance, Foggy asks you, “How are you feeling?”

"I've been better," you choke out. You try to laugh, but pain shoots through your entire body. Every last muscle in your body squeezes to its core, trying to shrivel up, and creates a ball of energy and pain that tears throughout.

Matt grasps the back of your hair "Are you sure? We should have taken you in, if I had gotten there just a few minutes later..." 

“Hey, hey! It's ok, Matt,” you smoothly speak, “It wasn't your fault, it was mine. If I had died there, that would've been on me. I should have never come here, I knew I’d be his target, but I was to naive and thought I could actually have a life of my own. It’s all my fault, all the pain he's caused and lives that he's ruined has been because of me. Don't blame yourself for something out of your control, " You try to convince him, only you seem to be trying to convince yourself. A tear burns down your cheek, filled with all the toxic memories and pain you’ve had to relive. Another one follows, then another; you close your eyes in attempt to stop the tears, but more are encouraged to fall out, drowning your skin. Nothing can stop your sobs. Matt kneels in front of you and used his thumb to wipe away your tears. He slid his hand under your head and rested it right under his chin.

"You listen to me very carefully," Matt whispers into your hair, "You don't deserve any of what you’ve gone through. Your father has no excuse for what he's done; that includes you, (y/n). You're not an excuse for what he's done... He has no right to blame you." Matt hums into your head.  _ Why is he doing this? He barely knows me; I'm just some freaky girl who keeps causing him trouble, I should be less than nothing to him. _

Foggy nudges him aside and pulls you close to him, “Do you really think someone who grew up in a perfect, sheltered life with nothing wrong in their life ever could grow up to be such a funny, caring, smart, talented, loving little shit like you?” His jab at “little shit” makes you giggle, but every other word he says resonates within you.

“What he said,” Matt adds, “Don’t let anyone tell you otherwise, you’re beautiful inside and out.”

"Thank you… but how would you know if I'm beautiful or not?" You shyly ask.

"He always knows when a beautiful girl's in a room. It's kind of freaky, actually." Foggy pipes in.  _ What the hell does he mean by that? _

Whether it was what he said or your reaction, you all laugh together until you feel your stitch tear and pain flows through your body like waves in the ocean.  _ When did I get those? Probably when I was asleep... _ The pain shoots a cry out of you. Both men worriedly ask what’s wrong and you cough out, "Stitches I think."

Foggy backs up so you can lay down and Matt asks where they tore. You lift your shirt up below your bra and slowly guide his hand over to your stomach. When his finger tips touch the freshly opened flesh, you wince.

"Ok, Foggy, go get the whiskey," Matt orders as he gets the nearest first aid kit. When Foggy gets back, he gives Matt the whiskey bottle.

"I'm going to be in the other room because I got sick last time Matt did this, and I don't think you want to see my breakfast." You grin widely at that; Foggy has always had a weak stomach when it comes to things like this.

"(Y/n), this is going to hurt, so I'm going to need you to take a few swigs of this whiskey." Matt says as he hands you the bottle. This should be easy: you've always sewn your own stitches without whiskey, so this shouldn't be nearly as bad as it use to.

You chug about a third of his bottle. With a fiery gag, you set the bottle on the coffee table. Who said you haven't had your fair share of alcohol? Growing up with vodka and liquor galore surrounding you, you got use to the taste and burn. You never drank often, but you would occasionally to de-stress.

"Are you ready?" Matt asks with concern. You grab his free hand and squeeze it.

"Yep. You got this, Matt!" You encourage him.

He laughs at that part, "I should be saying that to you," Matt takes a breath, "I'm going to start now. Just tell me when it starts to hurt too much."

"I will." It shouldn't hurt too much- sure, the slice was really long, but that doesn't mean he has to re stitch the entire thing, does it? Even if it does, it shouldn't really matter since you drank that much and, again, you're use to it.

Matt starts with cleaning your wound again. After he removes the cotton swab, Matt begins the stitching at the left side of your stomach. When he first punctures your skin, you hiss.

He stops immediately and waits for you to calm down. "Are you sure you'll be ok? I can get you more pain killers."

"It's fine, just the first pinch. I haven't had to have stitches in a few years; I swear I'm better at this than I am right now!" You joke. Even though he can’t see, Matt still somehow has a way of knowing when you smile. He always smiles back and it always makes your heart melt...

"I'm going to start again. Just tell me when, ok?"

"Ok."

Matt starts the stitches again. This time it's not nearly as bad.

"How are things going in there?" Foggy calls out from the next room. What's he been doing in there anyway?

"Still stitching, but going well." Matt responds.

"Ok, awesome! I'm still going to stay in here, though." You and Matt both smile at that last part.

After about 10 minutes, Matt put down his supplies.

"You sat through that well. And you're safe Foggy!" Matt tells you and yells at the other room.

"What can I say? I've had quite a few stitches, all fixed by yours truly," You laugh, "And you're not bad yourself, Sir Stitch-A-Lot." It still burns, but it's worth it because Matt laughs back.

"Um, (y/n), did you just call Matt Murdock “Sir Stitch-A-Lot”, or have my ears deceived me?" Foggy says in a serious tone, but you know he's kidding.

"So what if I did?" You ask playfully.

"Then I'd applaud you!" Foggy says as he starts clapping. You laugh, and Matt and Foggy just grin stupidly. You briefly look down, but then notice the time on your watch.  _ Shit, does that clock say 12:39? _

"Fuck, what's today?" You ask. Fuck, you might work.

"It's Saturday. You're not planning on doing anything today, are you?" Matt asks.

" _ Fuck,  _ I missed work last night! And I was suppose to be at the homeless shelter 10 minutes ago! Theresa and Sheryll are going have my skin!" You panic as you get up. You start moving around to look for whatever you might have dropped.

"(Y/n), what the hell? You were almost killed last night! You need to take off for the next few days!" Foggy tries to convince you. He walks towards you and grabs your arm, but you forget where you are for a moment and flinch out of his light grip.

"That's nice and everything, but I only have stitches and I look worse than I feel. I'll just work the kitchen today at the shelter and I'll go easy at the cafe, ok?" You assure the boys.

"No way, you might have internal damage that we don't know of. You can't work until I- we make sure you're ok." Matt asserts. Damn, he's not in the mood to argue.

"What can I do to convince you guys I'm going to be ok? Look, I don't perform for another three months and I only have rehearsal on weekdays except for Wednesday. I'll just explain to them that I got mugged and I'm not in shape to do any serious choreography for the next week and pray I don't get fired. As for the cafe, I work graveyard shift every night except for weekends and Wednesdays. I'm just a waiter and  _ occasionally  _ work in the kitchen, so I'll take it easy then. Saturdays, I’m at the homeless shelter. I'll just work the kitchen. On Sunday's I volunteer at the animal hospital a few streets down, but that’s easy work. Is that good enough? I hope you know that I'll most likely die of guilt if I have to miss volunteering."

"How the hell- what drugs are you on to keep you doing all of that? I'm only a lawyer with barely any cases and I'm still exhausted when I get home!" Foggy exclaims. You guess he just doesn’t notice the giant purple circles around your eyes and all of your bags?

"Still, you need to rest. At least take this weekend off, ok?" Foggy practically begs you.  _ He looked so worried... Damn it! _

You huff in defeat. "Fine, but I hope you know I'm going to get my ass handed to me." You reach in your pocket for your phone but don't feel it. You check the other. Panic strikes you in the thought of losing your phone.  _ Oh shit I lost my- wait. It's probably in my apartment. I must have dropped it when they... It's in my apartment. _

"Hey Foggy, can I borrow your phone real quick? I need to call in and say I'm not going to make it." You ask.

"Of course." Foggy hands you his phone.

"I'm sorry (y/n), but this is for your own good. You have to rest." Matt says, bringing you back to the couch, “This is for your own good…” You shake your head to get rid of your memories from all the times you've heard that statement.

"Yeah, yeah, I understand." You say as you dial the shelter's number. Even though you're still a bit shaken, you manage to call into all 4 places and get time off. Your director seemed more than glad to give you the next 2 weeks off, but that's probably because you're a lead who's had everything down for months. At the cafe and volunteer sites, they're not expecting you until you're better. God, did it kill you that you could be out helping people and animals, but instead you're going to be laying around.

"So," you sigh, "what now?"   
  



	4. Chapter 4

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> So the boys bed rest you and you're not allowed to go anywhere out of their sights... Well, more like Matt's... Maybe you need to stay at one of their apartments to make it easier?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm so sorry for not posting! I've been really super busy, but I hope this chapterakes up with its length :/ sorry again, but enjoy!!

"First we're going to have to find you a place to stay because it's not safe to go back to your apartment. It's only been a day, and they're probably planning to attack again at night." Matt explains.  _ Ya know… it’d be quite dandy if I could just stay here and get to know you… _

"Agreed." You state.

Foggy, walking into the room with a glass of coffee, "So either you're going to stay with him or with me the next week or so-"

"She can stay with me." Matt interrupts. You and Foggy snap your confused heads in confusion, he looking like he just saw a three headed pig and your heart skipping a beat.  _ Did he just… I think he just… holy fuck holy fudgecicle holy FU- _

"I mean, I DO have more medical knowledge and she would be the safest with me." Matt continues, starting to turn red.  _ Is... Is this happening? Is this real? _

"Well, I guess it's settled then. (Y/n), you'll be staying with Matt, and the ghost of Christmas Past will stay with me. " Foggy concludes.  _ What the hell? _ you laugh at Foggy's last comment. He takes a sip of his coffee from glass- his  _ glass-  _ and you just stare at him.  _ Why…? Why is this… What is life?  _

“Foggy… why? There are coffee mugs…?”   
“Why not? Why don’t you drink coffee from a glass, (y/n)?”

_ Fucking hell, Foggy…  _ “I mean… yes?”

You stare each other down, he takes another sip, a sweat breaks, and you understand.  _ Liberation. _

“I can see why you two are friends…”

A moment of silence passes, Foggy takes another sip, and you break back to the original conversation:   
  


“So I guess if I’ll be staying here I’ll need to run back home and grab my stuff.” You're going to be here for about a week or two, so you might as well go get some clothes and personal hygiene products. And your phone.

"Yeah. Foggy and I will go with you." Matt states.

"You sure? I just need a few things; I won't be too long." You try to convince them- they're already doing so much for you... Besides, you don't know if the three men wrecked your apartment or not, and if they did, you don't want Foggy to see the mess.

"Absolutely!” Foggy walks up and slaps the back of your shoulder then clasps it, “It's not safe for you to be alone right now, and you probably don't know how to get to your apartment from here." Foggy say.  _ Oh shit… I don’t know how to get to my apartment from here. _

"True... I’m ready to go if y’all are."

"I think we’re ready to go." Matt suggests.

"Oh! Ok, cool!" you stutter as the three of you begin to walk to the door. How the hell can two people be so generous? One guy has known you for years and has offered to help you so many times and actually has helped you in the past, and the other guy is your lawyer you just met the other day but has already kicked your dad's ass, assisted to your wounds, and has offered you a place to stay! How the hell are you supposed to repay them? For starters you'll probably do the housework and cooking... it's the least you can do.

You get to your apartment door and enter the code into the padlock rather than using the key (you think it's still on your coffee table) and open the door. Surprisingly, none of the men had robbed you or trashed the place. However, your Nativity scene displayed on your coffee table is gone.  _ Out of all things. My Nativity scene. I guess they need it more than I do…  _

"Aaaaand welcome to my lair. I'll be right back, I just need of few things if I'm going to be gone for a couple weeks max. In the mean time, make yourselves at home!" you say to Matt and Foggy as you bring them into your small apartment. It may be lacking in size, but you love it tremendously- when you first enter and look to the right, you have a living room with your radio, bookshelf, and black fabric loveseat. In the middle, there's a glass coffee table that you got for free when the last couple moved out (you had no idea why since the table was beautiful with intertwined black metal to support the glass top). When you look to your left, you have your kitchen with a small but classy square dining table (it matched the coffee table and was also left by the last people). It had three wooden chairs pulled into it, sitting in front of a window looking onto the street below. If you look straight ahead, there's a hallway that leads to your bedroom, bathroom, and your supply closet. Your bedroom was very simple: it had a queen bed with Duke Blue sheets and a dark oak side table. In the corner of your room was a CD case a friend gave to you in college, which sat catty corner to your dresser, also of dark oak.

You walk down your hallway and into your room to grab a duffel bag. You open your drawers and grab some different clothes then run to the bathroom to grab your personal hygiene products and medicine. Finished, you start walking back to the boys then remember- you dash into your room and grab your body pillow and blanket and fold them neatly into your bag. Now _ actually  _ finished, you go to the living room where the boys patiently wait and grab your phone, keys, charger, and earbuds from the table.

"Ok, I've got everything," You say, lifting up your bag for display.

"You sure, Speedy Gonzales? You’ll be at Matt’s for a couple weeks, that looks like a couple days." Foggy asks concerned. You're surprised that he hasn't realized yet how low maintenance you are.

“Yeah there’s a thing called a washing machine, but by the smell of you, I can tell you don’t know what that is.” You poke at him, earning a fake hurt laugh and a slap on the arm from Foggy.  You pretend to be really hurt by the slap and he actually gets concerned, but realizes you’re bs-ing. He slaps your arm again and you walk to the refrigerator.

“You guys want anything to drink?” You ask, only earning negative grunts and “thank you’s.” You set down your bag and grab an old glass of orange juice you left in the fridge the other day and down the rest of it, placing the glass in your dishwasher for you to not deal with until you moved back in.

“Alright, I think I’m ready to go, I’m getting some pretty bad vibes here…” You mutter; you bend down to pick up your bag but Matt rushes over and picks it up for you, insisting:

"Here, let me carry that for you, you shouldn't be carrying anything" Matt offers as he walks over and takes your bag.

"Oh! Are you sure? It barely weighs anything..." You say as you feel a blush creep up onto your cheeks.

"Positive." He affirms.

You all walk out of the apartment and you lock your door, giving it one last look before turning your back. When you turn around to go down the hallway with the boys, you meet face to face your ancient witchy neighbor, Margaret. With her snaggle tooth hanging out, her white hair afro-ing uncontrollably from her clips, and her decrepit and dingy clothes dangling from her body, she growls a growl so deep and long, you can smell her breakfast. The boys look back, slightly worried but mostly confused, and you just stare at Margaret, wondering if she’ll try to attack you again, noth that it would do much since she was Moses’ mother’s midwife. Slowly, she snarls in her Scottish accent:

“Is ne’re a good sign wen a wo’en levs ‘er quar’rs weeth two men, ain’ it?”

“I’m going away for a while, they were just helping me out, that’s all…” You shamefully mutter under your breath. Her boney hand snatches your arm and her skeleton- like fingers squeeze around and nearly puncture your skin.

“‘Ew be’er watch our fer yerself, ‘on, the devil’s at ‘ou’r tail an on’c he ‘as ‘ew, he won’ let go.”

She scuttles away back to her apartment, then slams the door hard enough to shake the dust off the walls. You stand wide eyed at Matt and Foggy, and they at you. You try to stutter something out but can’t find the words. Foggy is the first to move, he motions you to him and commands in a hushed voice, “Come here, (y/n), let’s go.” Silently, you move along with them.

Matt just finished giving a quick tour of his apartment.  _ This is actually really nice, especially in comparison to what I saw earlier. _

"Hey, (y/n), can you check the time?" Matt asks from across the room.

"It's 1:06"  _ That took longer than I thought... _

"Perfect, just in time for lunch. I know this great place right down the corner." Matt perks up, his cheeks slightly flushing.  _ Damn he just got happy. Would this be a da- wait no... No no no... Foggy's still here... _

"The coffee house with crab cakes?" Foggy asks happily from across the room. They must go there often.

"Ya, surprisingly good, too," Matt first responds to Foggy, but then directs towards you.

"Sounds good to me! I could really go for some coffee..." You agree. You just realized you haven't had your daily coffee yet! The cold, icy drinks always soothes you, and with your life, calm and peace is EXACTLY what you need.

You, Foggy, and Matt made your way out of Matt's apartment, then out of the complex and onto the street. You all walk down the concrete between the bricks and the street when two men in oversized hoodies and sagging pants bumps passed you.

"Damn bitch needs some fucking makeup, then I'd fuck her..." One of the shady men muttered to his friend. You stare at them in horror- your years of practically non stop therapy has helped you tremendously and you USUALLY would stand up for yourself, but the events from last night still haunt you. You can barely process what to say when Matt cuts in, almost literal.

He grabs the jerk and throws him against the apartment complex wall. "What the hell did you just say?" Matt growls. He reminds you of last night when he threw the dick against the wall.

"I said," the shady man spits at Matt.  _ Shit _ ... "I'd fuck her, but she needs some fucking makeup for dat ugly ass face." Foggy puts his arm across the front of you to protect you from the unfolding scene.

"She's pretty with makeup- and without. She's really freaking beautiful..." Foggy calls out, trying to help.  _ I don't know what to think of that... _ It just seemed to make matters worse. The guy’s friend already ditched him, but the jerk turned his head to smirk at Foggy.

"That woman right there is perfect just the way she is and doesn't need scum like you to even look at her. Can you explain why the hell your opinion matters? Or why I shouldn't beat the living shit out of your idiotic ass right here right now?" Matt threatens. The man suddenly realizes how much shit he's in and starts fidgeting.  _ Shit, does Matt actually care so much about me that he'd do all of this? I mean, we've barely talked. Then again, extreme situations bring people closer... _ Memories of last night flooded in like crazy by how he was standing up for you like this.  _ I guess it isn't that surprising… _

"Look I was just trying t-to make a point to her, you know? Sh-she could never get laid if she doesn't look good, right? I-I'm just trying to help her, dude!" The man stutters. Matt punches him in the jaw.

"She. Doesn't. Need. Your. Help" Matt growls. He punches the man in the stomach, earning an agonizing groan. You could practically hear the stomach contents threatening to escape the man's mouth. As if Matt already knew what was about to happen, he dropped the man right as a police officer walked up.

"Is there a problem here?" She asks Matt and the man. Matt turned his head towards the officer, and sends a threatening glare to the man.

"I asked," the officer persistes, her coolness quickly developing into frustration, "Is there a problem here?"

"No, not at all." Matt clarifies, sending one last death glare to the man before sauntering back to you and Foggy and waves down a cab. As it pulls up, Foggy walks toward the door to open it for you, but Matt beats him to it. Even though he looks slightly annoyed, Foggy walks to the other side of the cab and seemingly brushes it off. Matt opens the door for you and you scoot in and he climbs in after you, shutting the door behind him.

"To Café Maison"

 

* * *

 

You, Matt, and Foggy arrive, the divine smell of rich espresso penetrating the air. The trio waltzes in through the pastel cream doors decorated with stained glass and greet the little old french lady at the counter.

With open arms, the lady beams with a smile, “ _Bonjour, bienvenue_ _à la Café Maison. Je m'appelle Cossette, comment allez-vous?_ ”

“ _Très bien, et toi?_ ” I answer, absorbing her positive energies.

“ _Très, très bien, merci beaucoup!_ What will you fine lady and gentlemen like today?”

Matt speaks up first, “One garden salad with black coffee, two sugars, please.”

Then Foggy, “A roasted turkey and brie melt and a glass of water, thank you.”

And finally, you, “May I get the grilled chicken crepes and a black coffee, please?”

Cossette beams, “Why of course, _belle!”_

After paying and a few moments later, you each receive your meals, hot with the flavor melting into the air.

“Here,” states Foggy, “There are some great seats at the front Matt and I usually catch.” He leads you to a petite wooden table in front of the window and everyone takes a seat, chattering distinctly about the decor. You sip on your coffee when Matt speaks up, "You mentioned the other day that you went to college- what degree did you get?"

"Oh, uh, I got a Masters degree in Theatre and Technical Theatre. I took it as fast pace, so it only took 2 years to complete." you explain.  _ Hopefully I'll learn something about him during our small talk. _

"That sounds intense." Matt replies.

"I bet it was, but (Y/n) right here is very smart, so I have no doubt that she excelled." Foggy comments as he puts his hand on your right wrist. _ Either extremely friendly or flirty... Please don't be flirty... _ To brush off his sign of affection, you use your right hand to pick up your latte and bring it to your lips. You let the cold drink enter your mouth and you take in the taste, letting the cold sooth your mind and cleared it of negative thoughts. You set your drink back down and look up to see Foggy leaning back awkwardly, and Matt having a puzzled look on his face. An awkward silence roams over your table, occasionally being disrupted by the occasional sounds of chewing or sipping. Finally, Matt broke the silence, "So you act?"

"Yep." You casually reply, despite that you’re actually a lead in an off-broadway show and most people in your position would be bragging and making it a big deal.

"Do you have any other interests or hobbies?" Matt questions, taking a sip of his coffee, too.

"Well uh, I'm still exploring a bit but so far they're music and any kind of visual or performing art. Like painting, knitting, sculpting, photography, things like that. Also taking apart things and putting them back together... And writing and gardening. And I'm looking into playing the violin." You explain. If it weren't for college, you wouldn't of been exposed to all the amazing arts and beauties there are in the world.

You take a sip of my coffee and Matt jokes, "That sounds nice and extremely busy, I'd kill to see something of yours some time." He laughs genuinely and you choke on my coffee.

"You haven't questioned about my blindness or anything, I can only assume you've been exposed to things like it before," Matt lead on.

"Well, when I'd come up for the summers, I'd stay with my aunt. My cousin was autistic so I decided to volunteer at this special and physical needs center when I wasn't working," You explain, becoming flooded with old memories of all the sweethearts you helped… You’ll never meet anyone more pure and innocent than the mentally handicapped.

"That's actually how (Y/n) and I met,” Foggy cuts off, “She'd go to the place off 7th and Willberg, right? And I'd get back from work. We always saw each other but didn't speak until one day she was walking across the street and a car came-"

"And he saw me, so he, uh, got me out of the way. We talked afterwards and became friends since. But I volunteered at this place that helped people with special needs and disabilities." You conclude with a grimace.  _ Foggy, Foggy why bring that up? After all I've been through and he brings up the time I almost died and felt no regret?  He's acting as if he's claiming me as his own... _

"That's very kind of you to volunteer. I've always wanted to try it, but, well..." Matt motions to his eyes.

A light bulb goes off in your brain, so bright you can barely stutter out, "Oh, I know a place right on the corner of Grace and Turline! They take in anyone without a criminal record, and you're a freaking lawyer. I'll have to bring you some time!"  _ That'd be so cool! I could show him one of the most important parts of my life, and we'd have a great time! _

"That sounds like a plan!" He finishes with a shining smile which you return, despite that he can’t see it.

***cough***

"Still here, guys." Comes from a half-sarcastic, half hurt chortle from the strange blonde man you sit with.  _ Holy crap, you, Foggy _ , an awkward laugh breaks between everyone. The rest of the lunch is full of laughter and light chatter. You learn about Matt's past, some of his interests, and the details of his college life with Foggy. Eventually, lunch comes to an end and you three make your way to their office and finish the case. There isn’t much to do since Matt already took care of the dick, but there was still some more paperwork to be filled out. At about 10, Foggy leaves and you and Matt retire to his apartment. The sweet smell of rain welcomes you from the window, beckoning you, lusting for your touch; staring blankly at the buildings and lit night sky, you change into your pajamas and continue staring into the city.

_ I still can’t get over the life and culture of a city, still so different than living in the suburbs with no real change, no businesses or restaurants you wouldn’t find in a dry, train town. _

A hand meets your shoulder and the smell of old paper and roasted coffee sneaks to you.  _ Matt.  _ You turn your head and he faces the window as you.

“I remember as a kid, I would watch my dad’s matches, then I’d sit outside and wait for him. I’d watch the people go by, listen to the cars fly by and people yelling, I’d stare at the tall buildings around me. It was home. Then my dad would come around the corner and he’d grab me and take me inside. That’s how I spent my nights, and I would give anything to have another like it.”

A low hum emits from him, a scowl wearing his face, and you lean closer to him.

“When I was a kid, I grew up in the only apartment complex around. There were two other trailer parks and the rest were all neighborhoods. At 10 every night and 4 every morning you could hear the train go by, and if you were close enough to the ground, you could feel it rumble even though it was a half mile away. It was so quiet in the mornings and at night, the only time there was noise was on the weekends or before 6 on weekdays, and even then it was a slow buzz, nothing too loud. Everyone lived the same culture, everyone at at the same restaurants, not everyone knew each other but you’ve always seen them around a few times before if anything. When I could, I’d sneak onto the lawn of my apartment complex and I’d wait for the train to come by so I could feel the earth rumble, it was so soft and calming. Then I’d stay laying in the tall grass and I watched the sky, it was so clear and beautiful, even when it was cloudy you could see all the stars. And I’d stay out there for as long as possible, like a part of me belonged out there. It was blissful. But that was the only time you could ever feel anything like that in that town. The rest of the time, it was same old same old, anything different is bad, if the PTA moms and HOA didn’t approve, it didn’t happen. I always wanted to come to the city for the very reason, it was too safe and sheltered in that town. But still to this day, I imagine myself laying in that grass, feeling the rumbling of the earth, hearing the train blow and the tracks rattle, watching the stars, smelling the earth, hearing a small garter snake slither by somewhere. Sometimes I miss that moment, that one moment, then I remember.”

Your hushed voice grows into a whisper by the end, his hand sliding up and down on your shoulder and back. You and Matt sit in a restful silence, letting your thoughts swim and release.

“I try my best to keep the city safe for people like you, for kids like me, so everyone can have those moments.”

“I know you do. My gratitude goes beyond words, Matt. I wish there was some way for me to help.”

He grabs your other shoulder and turns you to him, a smile on his face, and he whispers, “Well you’re an actor, aren’t you? Your job is to bring smiles and truth to people, you spend hours helping animals and the disabled and disadvantaged, I’d say you’re helping the city just as much as I am, probably more.”

A glow swells up inside your body, tears prick your eyes, and you try to speak but can only vibrate in emotion. Swelled with gratitude, you finally stutter out, “That means so much to me, Matt, thank you.”

“You don’t have to thank me, (y/n), you do so much.”

He pulls you into a half hug and leads you to the couch. You grab your pillows and start rearranging yourself and take your sleeping meds. You and Matt both awkwardly try to lay on the couch before you realize what the other is doing.

"And what do you think you're doing?" Matt asks half playfully, half serious.

"Going to sleep, I've already taken my sedatives" You joke, straining the word "sedatives".

"On the couch? I don't think so." He states as he scoots next to you on the couch.

"What, no! I can't keep you from your bed!" You exclaim, playfully shoving him off the couch.  _ He's done so much for me, he at least deserves his own bed; I can't deprive him of that! _

"(Y/n), I will take the couch. You will take the bed. With everything you've been through, you need some kind of comfort, not a couch." He tries to convince you, but obviously fails.

"I've slept in worse places in WAY worse situations, believe me, I can take the couch. I have an amazingly soft and comfortable blanket and I have a giant pillow, I'll be fine." You assure him, finishing with a pat on the shoulder.

"There's no point in arguing with you, is there?"

"Not in this situation."

"Ok. In that case, if you need me or change your mind, you know where to find me." Matt offers with a smile and a slight blush on his face. You can feel a blush creep up your cheeks as well, so you smile and say your good nights.

You put your pillow between your legs and wrap around them like ivy, and lay your head at the your pillow and replay your day.  _ I love this, it's just like cuddling probably. _ Then you clear your thoughts and play it in your head again, but with happy thoughts and twists instead. Eventually you find yourself drifting off into the unknown void of sleep...


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Reader sleeps well and surprises Matt with a wonderful breakfast... Looks like he decides to do the same. The rest of the day is a mystery that you'll just have to read about

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I feel awful for not updating lately, but I hope the length makes up for it (sorry if it's too long). On the bright side, though, I got my torturous advanced biology homework done! Pretty well done for an ADD procrastinator with a butt-load of homework, ey? *smirks playfully*  
> Also if you're a fan of Doctor Who or Marvel, pretty please with sugar on top check out my works because I have two other fanfictions I'm working on!  
> Any way, enough about me! I'll be able to update and work more on chapters now :D Enjoy and please leave kudos down below :) **also, here's the link to the gazebo I describe**: https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/236x/ce/d3/50/ced35072cd5af87b4fdace84fa210824.jpg  
> (s/c/w/o) = (straight/curly/wavy/other)

***Matt's POV***

I was lightly sleeping in bed when I felt a sudden banging in my ears. I sat up and tried to focus the sound, and I realized it was (Y/n)'s heartbeat. It was escalating quickly and didn't sound like it was going to slow down anytime soon. I got out of bed and raced to the living room; I could hear her flipping around on the couch and her pillow and blanket fall on the floor. As I got closer to her, I could smell the sweat in her glands getting ready to come out.

***Your POV***

_I looked around the demolished city to find some kind of hope. Terrorists attacked and destroyed many buildings and streets with their bombs, but there were also random TNT bundles rigged up everywhere. The streets were caving in and covered in faults, and dead bodies were falling into them. Foggy left and told you to stay there while he went to get Karen. You watched him go down to the building, but when he opened the door to their office, the entire building blew up. You watched as by standard were thrown about because of the sudden explosion. You knew Karen and Foggy were dead, but you also knew that Matt could be next; your dad and his mob were picking people off, one at a time._

_You went to Matt's apartment as fast as you could. You already weaved through so many bodied, that blood was splattered up to your shins by the time you got there. Instead of seeing his building, though, you saw concrete and bricks piled up to only about 15 feet high and ash everywhere. You knew he was gone but you didn't want to believe it. You searched around, hoping to find him alive and barely injured. Instead, you found his dead body laying in a pool of blood. The back of his head was completley smashed in, and shards of his skull were laying around him. His shattered glasses were only a few feet away, but a note was clutch into his hand, "Why, (Y/n)?" It was official: you're only two friends and the man you were in love with were dead. You fell onto the ground next to Matt's unmoving body and cried tears of blood._

"(Y/n), (Y/n) you have to wake up. Come on, wake up," you heard being whispered to you from somewhere. _I'm starting to wake up, finally! I need to listen to that voice._  "You're going to be ok, I just need you to wake up for me," You heard again. This time, you could tell it was Matt's concerned voice. You tried to do as he said, but images of your entire night mare flashed in front of you. _27, 27..._ You tried shaking yourself out of it, but there was something holding you down. You screamed in frustration, and that did the trick; you woke up in Matt's arms, your cheeks stained with tears. His right hand cradled your head and his left arm went across your back to hold you close. Breathing in his scent (and _not_ his blood), you realized you were safe again. You threw your arms across his neck and cried into his chest. He pulled you closer, then muttered into your hair, "Wanna tell me what it was about?"

 You shook your head and looked into his eyes, "I watched you, Foggy, and Karen die 27 times. 27 times... And the last one was my fault. My dad planned a terrorist attack in revenge and I watched y'all die again-" you were going to continue, but got chocked up in more tears. You laid your head on his chest and cried again, being comforted by Matt. Finally, after what seemed like ages, you stopped crying.

"Hey, how about you stay the night in my room tonight? There's enough room and I can wake you up if you have another nightmare." he quietly suggested. You were too tired to protest, and honestly that sounded amazing. In agreement, you muttered "yes" and sat up a bit. He lead you to his bedroom and he climbed into bed. After surveying his room, you followed. You laid your head on the other pillow and whispered to him, "You sure you don't mind?"

He muttered back in response, "Yeah, I'm sure" and finished with a smile. Even though you knew he couldn't see it, you smiled back to him. He's too freaking adorable and hot for his own good. After a while of laying there, you finally drifted off to a comfortable sleep.

* * *

 You woke up at about 5:30 with arms wrapped around you and your legs intertwined with someone else's. _What the hel- oh yeah_ , you smiled into the pillow. Some time during the night when you rolled over, Matt had put his arms around you. That doesn't explain, though, why your right leg was in-between his... _I guess that's what happens when you're the little spoon._  You turned over to look at Matt, but you didn't realize earlier that he was shirtless.   _Damn. Oh hot damn._ The moonlight bounced off his skin, which made him somehow more majestic looking.  _But DAMN those collar bones are killer, and so are his shoulder blades!_ There's nothing to describe what you see right now other than  _damn_. Because you were staring at him so long, he nuzzled his face into the crook between your neck and head. It made you giggle from the tickle, but you tried to keep quiet so you wouldn't wake him up. You laid in tranquility for what seemed like forever, except you had an idea that would require you getting up and out of bed. _Away from this angel? At least it'll be worth it._

You slithered out from Matt's arms and legs, then snuck out of the room and to the living room. You grabbed your body pillow and brought it into Matt's room, then put it under the covers and tucked it in. _That could pass for a body, right?_

You went to the living room and grabbed your shampoo, conditioner, makeup, brush, toothbrush, toothpaste, and a tshirt and shorts from your bag and went to the bathroom. You took a quick shower, changed into your clothes, put on a bit of eyeliner and mascara, brushed your teeth, then brushed your hair. It was 6:32 when you got out of the bathroom, still fairly early, so you decided to make a nice breakfast of scrambled eggs, toast, bacon, and coffee for you and Matt to show your gratitude. Once you were finished and cleaned everything up, you decided to look around the refrigerator and pantry to see if he needed groceries. You only looked to see if Matt had the ingredients to make the breakfast, but never payed attention to other groceries. You scanned the fridge and pantry to see what he had, but it was practically barren. _How does one have bacon but not other essentials? Then again bacon_ is _an essentially and he probably doesn't cook that much. Were my money envelopes in my purse when I got them?... YES! Ok! Thank God acting pays nicely..._

You grabbed your phone from the charger and went to check to see if Matt was awake. _Please be and STAY asleep for the next 45 minutes..._ You cracked open his door and saw that he was still in deep sleep. You closed the door slowly and went to the front of the apartment, then checked one more time to see if you had everything. _I got my purse, money, phone, and where the hell are my earbu- oh. Never mind. Ok then. IIIII'm stupid._ With that, you left the apartment and hailed down a taxi.

"Bert's Family Grocer, please!"

***time skip***

You arrive back at the apartment about 30 minutes later with 4 bags of groceries, all consisting of either basic ingredients, or things to make simple meals. It weighs quite a bit and you're worried about tearing your stitches again on the trip up, but luckily for you, Matt's apartment complex provides carts to use. You finally get everything set down inside and the cart back, but just as you start putting away the milk, you saw the table had different plates of food all over it. Mixed in with your plates, there were omelets, more toast, and orange juice. You were going to ask Matt for an explanation, but you heard the shower going so you decided to go ahead and put away the groceries. Right when you put away the last box of cereal, you heard Matt come out of the bathroom. He walked into the bedroom fully dressed in a suit, and smiled in your direction.

"Did you see I made breakfast? I hope you like omelets and toast!" he said giddy, obviously happy with himself that he must of impressed you.

"Yes, I did. I also saw that your plates of food perfectly missed my plates of food." you joked. You felt kind of bad, though, because his smile dropped and his face contorted with confusion.

"What?" he asked you extremely confused.

"I also made breakfast this morning, then went to the grocery store and picked up some stuff like cereal and milk." you explained. A small moment went by and the two of you bursted with laughter.

"Looks like we're eating a big breakfast!" Matt announced.

"Seems so!" you agreed.

***time skip to finishing up breakfast***

"Those omelets were amazing!" you complimented Matt. You just finished breakfast and were about to collect the dishes.

"As were your bacon strips!" he joked and complimented back. Even though you just said his omelets were amazing, you still blushed when he liked your bacon. _I am so lucky he can't see my face turn 50 Shades of Red every 5 seconds..._

You stood up to grab the plates and dishes, but Matt stood up faster, and as though he was reading your mind, he swooped through and took the plates and glasses.

"You can't lift a finger, remember? I should have you thrown in jail for getting groceries. I'm a lawyer; I could if I wanted to." Matt joked as he made his way to the sink.

You ran over to his right giggling a bit, then joked around, "I can do the dishes myself, thank you very much!" You took a couple of the plates and started to scrub them off next to Matt. The two of you started laughing and play fighting over the sponge. You grab onto the sponge in Matt's hand and pull really hard in hopes to get it and make him laugh, but instead he still held onto it and got pulled over. Thankfully he didn't fall, but he did use his right arm to catch himself on the counter beside you, which resulted in it going around you to hit the counter. The laughter died down quickly and silence took over the recently joyful room. You didn't mind it, though, because you were centimeters away from Matt's face. Your heart rate picked up and so much blood rushed to your face that you were probably as red as wine. You could feel his breath tingle against your lips. He must of felt yours on his, too, because his face turned into a deep red. Neither of you moved, though; you two just stood there waiting for the next person to do something. When you opened your mouth to say something, your top lip brushed against Matt's bottom one. You closed your mouth immediately in fear of what might of happened if you didn't. Even though you have the strong urge to kiss him, you suppress it greatly. _What if he doesn't actually like me? Or if I'm not actually ready for a relationship yet? I JUST met him, what if he thinks I'm a loon? But I also was in love with him in my dream... But that's also my subconscious talking_. You swear you're crazy for thinking this, but it's as though Matt was thinking the same thing from the look on his face. Just as you were about to try to say something again, he moved a tad bit closer, as though silently asking you if it's ok to kiss you. _Ah hell yes it was ok._

You tilted your head to the right and softly pressed your lips onto his. They were warm and tender, but his lips also tasted like the bacon he scarfed down earlier. Matt tilted his head to his right to make it a bit easier, and his nose brushed against yours. He dipped his head in and began massaging your lips with his. You breathed in through your nose, and it was full of a warm wet shampoo scent which made you relax into his body instantly. Matt took his free arm and placed his hand on the small of your back, then leaned forward on his right arm. You to had lean back a bit, but you didn't care. You took a step with your right foot back to stabilize yourself, but you accidentally deepened the kiss even more when you popped back up. Not that you were complaining. He slowly lead the two of you to stand up a bit straighter, all while still making out. Matt moved his right arm and placed it on your upper back, right below your shoulder blades. Images of him this morning popped into your head, but it only drove you feel more passionate. He used his arm that was under your shoulder blades and tugged you closer so that your chest was now pressing against his. You could feel his heartbeat, but what was amazing was that it was synchronized with yours. You were sure that Matt felt the same thing because he started smiling into each kiss. It was as if it were't enough, though, so he used his left arm to pull your lower back and waist closer to him. You brought your two arms around his neck and leaned into the kiss a bit more. Your legs started to intertwine with his and everything just felt absolutely blissful. When you went into another kiss, your top front four teeth accidentally dragged across his bottom lip, but that didn't discourage him. Instead, you could feel Matt's tongue break out of his mouth and beg for entrance into yours. You gladly accepted; he explored every inch of your mouth with his tongue, and just when he was about to pull it away, you used yours to push up against his. His tongue pulled back completely, but he let yours roam his mouth. Once you were done, you pulled back a little bit, but not all the way. Your hand reached for his hair and your tongues got intertwined. Just as things started getting heated ever more so, you felt Matt's phone vibrate in his inside jacket pocket, then a woman's voice repeating Foggy's name.

You sighed and he grimaced at the unwelcome phone call, so you pulled away enough for just one more kiss. Matt removed his right arm from your upper back and used that hand to grab the phone. He leaned back against his kitchen sink and pulled you to his side with his left hand, which was still on your lower back and waist. He pressed a button on his phone and answered, "Hey Foggy, what's up?"

"We got a rich client that wants to come in in about half an hour. Something about his neighbor accusing him writing false checks off of him." you heard Foggy explain from the other side of the phone.

"I'll be there soon." Matt replied shortly.

"Ok, and tell (Y/n) I said hi!"

Matt laughed lightly then said to him, "Will do." He turned to face you and when he did, you gave him a quick peck on the lips. "As amazing as that was and as much I'd love to continue," Matt began, "That was Foggy, who said hi by the way, saying that we have a new client that wants to meet in half an hour. And as boring for you as it may be, you have to come with me."

"After that I don't think I'll be bored when I'm with you..." you joked friskily. You leaned in and you two kissed again, but it was short lived.

"Are you ready to go now, or do you need to get ready? Your tshirt and shorts are fine." He began. _Wait, how would he know what I'm wearing?_

"How would you know what I'm wearing?" you questioned him with absolute confusion.

"My heightened senses made me know what kind of clothes you were wearing when we first kissed and I felt around," he explained and ended in another short but sweet kiss.

"Oh yeah, didn't think of that. Well I'm ready now if you want to head out." you replied.

"Ok, let's go ahead and leave before Foggy gets mad." he joked to you. You smiled back, but your smile only got bigger when Matt rose his hand from your back, then traced it down your arm, and grabbed your right hand. On the walk to the front door, you used your left hand to grab your purse. You shot Matt a quick smile before heading out the door.

* * *

 You and Matt walk up to the office door, then part your hands. The two of you agreed in the taxi that it would be best to keep your new found relationship quiet for a while; at least until it'd be safe for Foggy to not accuse the two of you having sex on sight and tease about it. Matt was just about to open the door, but Foggy did first from the other side, looking completely bewildered.

"Where have you been?" Foggy whispered through his teeth, "He showed up 20 minutes early and has been waiting here since!" He took Matt, who took you, and brought him inside.

"Here is my associate, Matt Murdock," Foggy introduced an older gentleman to Matt, "And our most recent client, (Y/n)" he finished with a smile. The older gentleman had white and gray hair that was slicked back, a small mustache, a pair of light amber sunglasses with a golden rim, and a beige and navy blue suit. You could feel the daggers he was throwing from his eyes into the three of you, then turned to Karen.

"You told me that they'd be here in a matter of minutes. _Minutes_! It has been almost 30 minutes and they just stumble in and bring a friend?" he told off. You could see Foggy about to pounce, but having to hold back. The man turned to Matt and Foggy and continued, "This is suppose to be a professional establishment! I came here for fine lawyers, not boys playing Law!" he turned around and marched to the door. "You two are disgraceful" he slammed the door behind him. There was a silence for a moment, and right when Foggy opened his mouth to say something, there was a knock at the door. _What, did the crank leave something behind? Like human decency?_ You turned to look at the others and saw that they were all as confused as you were. Karen walked to the door cautiously and opened it slowly, showing her utter fear. When the door was open about 2 inches, however, every bit of fear was replaced with surprisement and confusion. She opened the rest of the door much quicker and moved to the side, greeting a different, kinder looking elder gentleman. He walked in and asked in a quiet voice, "Is this Nelson and Murdock? I'm Owen Homer."

"Y-yes it is, please come in. I'm Foggy Nelson, this is my associate, Matt Murdock. Can you take a seat over hear for me?" Foggy introduced, then lead the man and Karen over to the table and chairs you sat in just a couple days ago. Matt turned towards you and found your hand, then gave you a squeeze. He smiled at you and told you to stay put, then caught up with Foggy. You looked around the office and found a seat that gave view to the room where Matt, Foggy, Karen, and Owen were in. You dug through your small purse and pulled out your earbuds and phone, then plugged them in and started listening to a local radio station. _AC/DC! Dirty Deeds! Yeeeeeeeessssss!_ you giggled to yourself. In a few minutes, the song was over and they started to play one of your favorite songs, _Ragdoll_ by Aerosmith. In the intro, however, you could see that Owen started getting more irritated and starting yelling. You took out your earbuds and watched and listened to him: he stood up angrily then starting throwing his arms around, yelling about corrupt rich Jews. He started throwing in racial slurs and saying how they don't deserve money, but he does since he's a "respected and loved middle aged while male in the upper class community". Karen looked petrified, Foggy offended, and Matt calm. Matt told Karen to wait out in the main office with you, so you met her half way and took her to the chairs you were just sitting at.

"Are you ok? What the hell just happened in there?" you requested worriedly. Do they always get crazy men in here?

"Y-y-ya I-I'm fine, he just confessed to writing the false checks off his neighbor, then went off about how his neighbor doesn't deserve it because he's jewish and just so much stuff! I could barely write it all down!" she answered you. Then she showed you her notes, and you saw that most of it was his main statement. It filled up about half the page, and there were many asterisks to show where the racial slurs and profanities were.

"How can such a sweet looking little old man say such things?" you exclaimed, still shocked by what the paper showed.

"I have no clue!" Karen confessed, laughing hard and relaxing some. You joined in because of how ridiculous and almost comical Owen was. Speaking of the devil, Owen came marching out and to the door, yelled about how he was going to find better attorneys, then slammed the door shut, much like the man before him.

"Do y'all always get crazy old men?" you bantered.

"Seems like it," Matt replied laughing.

"First we got confused and crazy play boy grandpa, then we have a racist criminal for an innocent looking old man. We need to work more on our clientele." Foggy concluded jokingly. You, Karen, and Matt all laughed together, then Foggy joined in after his smirk wore off. "So what do we do now?" he asked, "I'm pretty sure we're all out of clients."

"Karen's going to have to stay here to take any calls, Foggy, you'll have to stay here to keep her company and to talk to any clients like those, and I have a few errands to run." Matt laid out. _And I have to be with him every bit of the way. Oh no. How awful_ , you thought sarcastically.

"Oh. Ok." Karen said. You and Matt already started walking to the door when Foggy called out, "Don't do anything I wouldn't do!"

"What _wouldn't_ you do?" Matt shot back playfully.

"Besides, _we're_ going to be in public, whereas you two are going to be alone. In an office. Together. Until we get back." you added in, seeing Matt's smirk out of the corner of your eye and Foggy and Karen's eyes doubling in size.

"Good one" Matt complimented once you two were out the door.

"Why thank you!" you appreciated, taking his hand in your own. The two of you walked down to the street, then hailed a taxi. Matt opened the door for you like he did yesterday, except this time he went around and got in on the other side. The two of you sat together in the back seat, then Matt slid his arm around your shoulder and told the driver, "To down town 9th street and Myrtle"

"What errands do you have to run?" you asked him curiously. Might as well know since you're going, too, right?

"I don't have any." he stated simply.

"I-I thought you just said to Foggy that you did?" you stuttered, completely confused now.

"I did, to get him off our trail. I want to bring you somewhere, I can't say where, though; it's a surprise..." he teased, bringing his lips to your temple and humming the last part.

"In that case, I can't wait!" you exclaimed sweetly before planting a kiss on his cheek. _I still can't believe this is happening. Two days ago I'm almost murdered, yesterday I move in with a man that I barely know but got the dick away from me, and today I wake up cuddling him, I made out with him, and now I'm going on a date with him. There's either something very wrong or finally something very right about me._

After about 10 minutes, you're getting close to a part of town that looked a bit vacated, but very healthy. There was lush green grass, almost clear skies, and there was an increase of old and healthy trees. There weren't nearly as many skyscrapers, and it actually looked a bit like an old down town because of the vintage buildings everywhere. Soon, the taxi came to a stop right in front of an old, white street sign with "9th St" and "Myrtle Rd" painted on top of it.

"Down Town 9th and Myrtle," the taxi driver informed Matt. He tapped at the meter at the front, slide open the glass door separating you and Matt from the driver, then stuck his hand through. Matt took out his wallet and asked you to take out the required cash for him. You paid the driver and were about to get out when Matt stopped you.

"Let me get that for you," he insisted while smiling. You felt a blush stain your cheeks, but you didn't care. Instead, you smiled at him ear-to-ear and thanked him. Matt walked around the side of the taxi and opened the door for you, then helped you out by taking your delicate hand and bringing you forward. You couldn't stop smiling, no matter how hard you tried to suppress it. He held on to your hand and lead you behind the corner of an old bakery, then past a barber shop. The two of you walked until he took a left and opened an old, Victorian-looking wrought iron gate surrounded by shrubs. He walked through and held it open for you, then showed you the way through a walkway of bushes. _Kind of like Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire! But a lot less deadly._

Matt whispered in your ear, "Close your eyes and walk slowly," You did what he said with your curiosity and vasopressin levels were going crazy. With every step you took, hand in hand with Matt, a million thoughts would go through your mind. With one last step, Matt turned to you, and took your other hand. He leaned in so close, you could feel his breath tickling your ear. He whispers to you softly, "Open your eyes." You smile sweetly and slowly open your eyes; you could practically feel his smirk on your cheek when you gasp at the view.

There was a stone pathway that twists and turns through a rosebush-enclosed square area. There were pink azaleas, black gold lilies, butterfly bushes, crocus, and countless kinds of wild flowers. It was all so over grown that there was JUST enough room for you and Matt to walk down it, but that just made it even more amazing. You walked around slowly with Matt to study and admire every detail of the flowers, bushes, and the butterflies that you looked down in surprise when you walked onto a mini wooden bridge. You giggled a bit at the sudden surprise, and looked up at Matt when he smiled and laughed himself. You put your right hand on his shoulder and gave him a long, sweet kiss. He draped his arms behind your waist, as did you, and you closed your eyes. The two of you stood in comfortable silence for minutes, before you opened your eyes again.

"Wow..." you muttered. You were too busy earlier to notice that the bridge the two of you are standing on takes you on a dirt path to the most amazing gazebo you've ever seen. There was a short stone wall leading up to the antique Victorian structure. Mossy stone supported the fading white wood, which equated with the moss-stained stone steps that let you enter. The gazebo itself seemed small and circular, but the height and old wooden deck created more room than led on. The deck itself was just wood, but it was fenced with short stone pillars that connected the vine covered white, wooden, woven fence. Instead of having any actual walls, the gazebo had 6 fading white, wooden pillars that were connected in a complex but elegant way at the top. Vines wrapped around small fencing that separates the gazebo from the deck, and they climbed to the top of the pillars. The roof (assuming completely faded white and wooden) came out from the sides at the top and was in the shape of a Hershey's Kiss. There were intricate details and designs on it, but you couldn't see much of it because the top part was completely covered in moss and vines, which gave it a sort of mystical charm.

Your eyes dance about looking at the marvelous gazebo, then you face Matt and ask him, still in a trance, "How did you find this place?"

"When I was little and could still see, my dad took me down town. I wondered off and found this garden. It was filled with flowers and bushes, there were stone and dirt paths, a small bridge, and the most amazing gazebo I've ever seen. When my dad found me, he was also amazed, but took me home. I swore to myself that'd I would bring someone special here so we could talk and eat ice cream," Matt started, but that last part made you giggle, "That promise has changed since then, of course. I just thought that you would like it..."

"I do; this place is like a fairy tale. Everything's so over grown and old looking, but still stable and beautiful. Whoever designed it must love antique Victorian structure," you agreed softly. _This place is too good to be true. That, and Matt considers me someone special. Can this get any better?_ Matt kissed the top of your head and rested it there. Another sweet and comfortable silence roamed over until Matt asked you uncertainly, "I can't see you, so I have no idea what you look like. I know that you're beautiful, but that's not the same thing. The closest way I can come to seeing is feeling and trying to imagine what you must look like. Is it ok- is it ok if I do that?" _That is_ completely _ok!_

Instead of saying anything, you slowly removed his right hand and took it into your own to hands, and gave it a supportive squeeze. You took his hand and slowly brought it up to your chin. You guided his fingers slowly around your jawline, then up to the side of your face. He withdrew his left hand from behind your waist, and used it as well. You watch him smile as he touches your face, your eyes, and your lips with your words describing what color everything is... Then he takes his hands and move it to your hair line and starts feeling your silky smooth (h/l), (h/c) hair. You smile from him laughing softly as he runs his fingers through your (s/c/w/o) hair.

"What's so funny?" you hum while giggling a bit.

"I almost never feel hair, let alone any kind like this. It's so soft; I wish I could see it because of how amazing it feels..." he sighed, half with content, half with disappointment. _He's going to break my heart talking like that_ , you thought sadly. You take his hands and put them on your hips, then cup his cheeks. You massaged little circle into them as you lean in, then your thumbs on his cheek bones so you can kiss him. Your top lip slides in between his two lips, and your bottom stays there to trap his bottom lip. You bring your two lips together (with his bottom lip still there) and make a smacking sound with them, then pull away. You do it again. Then again. You were about to repeat yourself, but Matt suddenly brought his left arm to your back and his right hand to you hair and deepened the kiss. He walked you to one of the stone walls by the bridge, while still sucking and nibbling on your lips, and leaned you over. You were so taken by his sudden passion that you followed his every move. He started scrunching your hair and bringing his tongue into the kiss, but you decided to let the turntables turn. When you were in mid kiss, you moved your hands from his face to his shoulders and flipped the two of you over. He broke the kiss by laughing at your sudden dominance, but quickly closed the gap again. When things started getting heated and you moved your hands back to his neck, Matt took his hands away from your hair and traced them down your sides, then grabbed the back of your thighs. This little player... He's too adorable! He smiled into the kiss, and quickly broke it so you two could catch your breath. You and Matt panted while laughing a bit, but when you two could breath normally again, you dove to his lips. Your tongue glazed over his teeth, then your and his tongues battled for the space. It must of been fighting tactic because he lifted you up by your thighs when you were caught off guard. You laughed loudly when he started to carry you, but it was replaced with hungry kisses when he placed you on top of the wall of stone. You lifted your hands from his neck to his hair and ran your fingers through it. You moaned into the kiss, which surprised and embarrassed yourself greatly, but that didn't stop Matt. He brought his crotch to yours and you didn't think anything of it until the two of you started grinding. _Wait, I can't do this yet. Not yet_. You were about to open your mouth to say something, but Matt's phone went off.

"Foggy. Foggy. Foggy." the woman's voice repeated.

"Again?" you sighed with frustration. _Foggy, what is your deal today?_

"I should really put that phone on vibrate..." Matt joked. _Really, though!_

"Foggy. Foggy. Foggy." the voice continued.

"You might want to answer it, the lady seems to think it's very important." you kid around while jumping down. Matt turned to lay against the short wall, and you followed suit. You leaned against Matt and put your hand on his shoulder, then gentle rubbed is as you listened to the phone call.

"Hey, Matt, how many errands do you have to run? You've been out for about 45 minutes." you heard Foggy question.

"Not many left, I'll be back soon with (Y/n)." Matt excused.

"Ok because Karen and I started a mean game of Bingo and it's hard with only two people!"

"Well I definitely wouldn't want to miss that."

"Be back soon! We're going to play another round then start Sorry!."

"We will," Matt hung up on the phone, "Foggy wants us back soon, he and Karen are playing Bingo and about to play Sorry!."

"Oooooh that sounds like fun," you start. You turn to him and put your arms around his neck, then kissed him, "... but this is also fun. We can keep doing this until we find a main street, then be there in time for Sorry."

"Sounds like a plan," Matt agreed before kissing you back. You take his hand and lead him out of the stunning garden, and the two of you walk together down the street. After taking a few corners, walking a bit, and randomly giving each other small pecks, you found a busy road with cars flying by. You and Matt both waved down the same taxi (which was laughed about), got in when he held the door open for you again, and rode back to Devil's Kitchen. It only took a few minutes this time to get back, but the fair costed about the same. After paying and having the door held open for you again, you and Matt made your way to the Nelson and Murdock office. By the time you got in, Karen was already pulling the Sorry! board game out from her desk, with Foggy completely checking her out.

You whisper to Matt what's going on, and he coughed loudly to show you arrived. Karen just looks up and says hi, whereas Foggy practically jumps out of his skin and turns crimson. You nod at Foggy with a smile, silently telling him you wouldn't say anything. You could see relief wash over Foggy, but you could also see Karen's confused face trying to examine the situation.

"Do I want to know what just happened?" she asks in a high pitched voice.

"You're good, Foggy was just looking to see if there were any other games to play." you tell her the half truth. Matt laughed, all of which made Foggy throw daggers at you from his eyes. Karen looks even more confused, so she walks over to the table, eyes focused, and sets the game down.

"I'm just going to ignore all of that because it was too weird and now it's time to play the game." she explains, mostly to herself while sitting down. You giggle a bit, then walk over to the table and sit down with Karen. The boys followed while you and Karen started to set the game up.

"I'm yellow!" Karen claims.

"Blue! Blue!" Foggy announces after Karen.

"I guess that makes us red or green." you conclude.

"I can't tell the difference, so you decide." Matt tells you with his lips forming a smile. _Definitely red!_

"Ok, red it is!" you proclaim.

The four of you play the game for a few hours without a single phone call interruption. Foggy won one round (which he loudly and jokingly complained about), Karen three rounds, and you and Matt two rounds. You would've kept playing, but Foggy realized that it was already 2:30, well past lunch break. Lunch needed to be quick and someone had to stay at the office, so Matt ordered Chinese while Karen went out herself. Matt just left the room because the food came, so now it was only you and Foggy.

"Hey can I talk to you real quick?" Foggy asks you nervously. _Oh God... He's been overly nice to me, showing me affection, calling me beautiful, and now he's about to break a sweat from asking me something... I hope I'm just reading him really wrong..._

"Y-ya, sure." you answer him in fear with what he's about to ask.

"When I first graduated and you were going into senior you and I saw you at the end of summer, I thought it was the last time I would see you. I had liked you for years, but I already knew you couldn't be in a relationship because you couldn't _possibly_ of been emotionally stable enough- that didn't sound right. I mean, you just didn't seem like you were ready yet, you know? I don't know, I just really liked you a lot but I also knew you needed a friend, so I never told you how I felt. But then you showed up needing help with your dad a couple days ago, and I guess all the feelings just came back," Foggy confesses in a rush. You stand there in a state of shock which leads him to continue, "Wow, I'm really not got at this am I?" He laughs nervously, and you finally get out of your frozen state.

"I'm sorry, Foggy, I really am, but you're right; when I was going through everything I was going through, I really did just need a friend. I thought nothing more of it and I'm really sorry. I never thought I could date until just a few years ago, and even then it was after serious therapy that got me to trust people and not be afraid of them. It wasn't until recently when I actually started developing feelings, but I'm sorry to say that they weren't for you. I'm truly sorry, Foggy. I hope we can still be the inseparable friends we were back in high school?" you regret having to tell Foggy this, because every emotion he was showing got replaced with humiliation and disappointment.

"It's fine, I completely understand. I'd like to be friends, at least." Foggy admits and gives you a weary smile.

"Friends it is!" you conclude on a happy note, making Foggy smile back. After a moment, Matt comes in with a bunch of Chinese take out boxes. You and Foggy rush to him, but he tells you, "You can't do anything like this, it might tear your stitches, remember?"

You come back with, "That wasn't what was going through your mind earlier..." With Matt frozen in place smiling stupidly, you walk up and grab a couple of the boxes and set them on the table. You look over your shoulder and see that Matt still has that stupid smile on his face, and Foggy looking absolutely perplexed at what you said and Matt's reaction.

"Did I miss something?" he asks accusingly.

"Nothing much, just something on one of the errands earlier." you state simply. You turn your head back around to try to hide your smirk , but Foggy catches it any way.

"Is that a smirk?" he asks with his face scrunched up. He accuses you again, "You're smirking!"

You quickly defend yourself, "No I'm not!" You quickly go grab some more boxes from Matt and cover your smirk with a big smile. "And now we feast!" you proclaim dramatically. The boys sit down start opening the boxes while you keep standing to look for eating utensils.

"What are you looking for?" Foggy questions you, seeing you look through all the boxes in frustration.

"Chopsticks, plastic forks, anything to eat with..." you explain while rummaging through the boxes.

"You might need these if you're going to feast," Matt jokes as he pulls out wrapped plastic forks from his inside coat pocket.

"Yes, yes I might. Thanks!" you thank Matt. _His pocket, I swear is like the TARDIS!_ With these thoughts, you continue and kid, "And how much can you fit in that pocket? Where did it come from? Not even all of my pants have pockets??" You and the guys all laugh, then start eating.

The rest of lunch was filled with conversations about pockets and laughter, but it wasn't until about half an hour later when Karen arrived. The conversation quickly took a sharp turn to a fat pigeon Karen saw that was trying to fly, but couldn't because of its weight. You felt bad for laughing, but you couldn't help the tears streaming down your face at all the jokes going around about it. Eventually the conversation died down and lunch was officially over. Now you're helping clean up the leftovers and trash while listening to music with the group.

"Have any of you listened to the Beastie Boys?" you ask them all. Scattered "no"s come from them all and makes you smile devilishly. You turn on your phone and start looking for you favorite song by them, _Intergalactic_ , while informing them, "Well you're about to! It's 90's rap but it's freaking awesome. _Intergalactic_ is my favorite from them; it sounds ridiculous, but if you listen to the words, it's actually really good." After a moment you find it, so you turn your phone up to full blast. You watch Matt, Foggy, and Karen's faces contort in confusion. They only get worse when you start rapping to the beginning:

 _Well, now, don't you tell me to smile_  
_You stick around I'll make it worth your while_  
_Like numbers beyond what you can dial_  
_Maybe its because we're so versatile_  
_Style, profile I said_  
_It always brings me back when I hear, "ooh child"_  
_From The Hudson River out to the Nile_  
_I run the marathon to the very last mile_  
_Well if you battle me I feel reviled_  
_People always sayin' my style is wild_  
_You've got gaul, you've got guile_  
_If you step to me I'm going to rap full file_  
_If you want to battle you're in denial_  
_Comin' from Uranus to check my style_  
_Go ahead with my rhymes I'll trial_  
_Cast you off into exile_

You stop to let the "Intergalactic Planetary, Planetary Intergalactic" part go by. While you're catching your breath and look up from hearing cackling from Foggy. Karen looks absolutely petrified yet impressed, and Matt looks stunned but has a smile. You give them a wink before continuing:

 _Jazz and AWOL, that's our team_  
_Step inside the party, disrupt the whole scene_  
_When it comes to beats, well, I'm a fiend_  
_I like my sugar with coffee and cream_  
_Well I have to keep it going keep it going full steam_  
_To sweet to be sour to nice to be mean_  
_With the tough guy style I'm not too keen_  
_Trying to change the world, I'm going to plot and scheme_

You grab Karen's arms and start doing a weird little dance where you pull her left arm and she pulls yours while jumping. _I have no idea._  
_Mario see likes to keep it clean_  
_Goin' to shine like a sunbeam_  
_Keep on rappin', cause that's my dream_  
_Thank Moe Dee for 'Sticking to Themes'_  
_Now when it comes to envy ya'll is green_  
_Jealous of the rhyme and the rhyme routine_  
_Another dimension, new galaxy_  
_Intergalactic planetary!_

You break again and start laughing hysterically with Karen. You look up and see that Matt is crying with laughter, and Foggy is having to use the table to support himself. _This is beautiful! And now for one of my favorite parts._

 _We're from the family tree of old school hip-hop_  
_Kick off your shoes and relax your socks_  
_Your rhymes are spread just like a pox_  
_Cause the music is loud like an electric shock_  
_I am known to do the wop_

You stop rapping and let the music keep going so you can do the wop.

"(Y/n) STOP DANCING LIKE THAT BEFORE I PISS MYSELF!!" you hear Foggy demand through choking laughter.

"What did you say? DO THE ELECTRIC BOOGIE? OK!" you yell over the music. Foggy leaves the room exclaiming how done he was, and Karen doubles over in laughter. You look up when you start doing the electric boogie to see and hear Matt wheezing with laughter, then get more serious.

"Wait, wait, wait. I remember that dance. As much as I would love for this to continue, you're going to tear your stitches. I just did them yesterday." Matt advises. _How the hell have I not torn them again since I tore them yesterday just by laughing?_ With your curiosity starting to take over, you stop dancing and lift up your shirt some. You gasp at what you see, Karen goes "What the hell?", Foggy comes back in looking curious as to why all the laughter stopped, and Matt walks over with worry covering his face. You guide his hand across where you stitches were. Were.

"What the hell..." he mutters in bewilderment. The stitches you just got yesterday were completely healed, and were barely hanging on at the end. "Foggy, take a look at this. It feels like it's completely healed."

Foggy walks over and kneels down to examine your day old stitches. "You're right, it looks almost completely back normal; the stitches look like they just need to be clipped."

"(Y/n), you told us in your statement the other day that you were always covered in bruises and cuts. How long did it take for them to heal?" Matt inquires. _I don't know if I like where this is going._

"Usually half a day. Whether they were broken bones, sprangs, minor stab wounds, bruises... They all healed faster than what I learned is normal. That's actually another reason my dad would get pissed off; he would beat my mom when she was pregnant with me, he took me out of my incubator and dropped me on the floor and left me when I was born, he starved me, he'd hurt me in so many ways like he wanted to kill me. I've survived all these years and any time I go to the doctor for check ups, I'm told how I'm one of their healthiest patients." you answer back, seeing how the dots connect.

"Have you gone through anything else strange like that?" he investigates.

"I pick up talents easily, and I've never had to study to get good grades; I use to get 95 and above in all of my classes without having to try." you listed out.

"Do you know if you had any tests done to you when you were a baby, or your mom when she was pregnant with you?"

"No idea... Should I call the hospital I was born at and look back on my medical records?"

"That might be a good idea."

You grabbed your phone and made a few phone calls, then 45 minutes later you're getting all of you and your mom's medical records sent to you from around the time you were conceived till your last visit to the doctor.

"Hey Karen, can I use the computer to check my email? I should be getting the medical records any time now." you ask Karen.

"Yeah, yeah, definitely." she agrees. You thank her make make your way to the computer. You sit down and log in to your email, then refresh it a couple times. An email pops up from "Science and Medical Institute of Texas". You click it and see a graph chart showing every visit to the institute, most of the chart shows dates and records only months before you were born.

"What is this?..." you quietly ask yourself. The others walk to the desk to investigate the computer screen. There were 16 dates that showed injections your mom got into you (still unborn) for two things called cerebrovelox and cytorefocillo. The charts show that you were given one of each of the shots in the same day every week, and it was in the beginning to middle of your mom's pregnancy.

"What's cerebrovelox and cytofocillo?" Karen asks no one.

"Hold on, I'm going to google this shit" you mumble. You open up google chrome and go to google, then type in "Cerebrovelox and Cytofocillo". Hundreds of thousands of results popped up, and all of what you could see involved "The Enhanced XY Generation Project Failure".

"'Enhanced XY Generation Project'?" You questioned. You open the first link, a Wikipedia page, and read out loud:

"The Enhanced XY Generation Project was one that subjected unborn children (born into in the 1980's and spent teen years in the 90's) to injections to increase the learning ability and cell regeneration. It was originally a glorified theory and thought to be successful, but shut down after two weeks. 98% of the children tested on almost immediately died on injection. The rest were rumored to be born with severe disabilities or deformities. The original procedure required 10 injections of cerebrovelox (increasing brain capacity, abilities, and usage) and cytofocillo (starts fast cell regeneration). They had to be taken two weeks apart, directly into the fetus..." you slowed to a stop. You looked at Karen, then Foggy, then finally Matt.

"She- she illegally gave me steroids that she knew was practically certain death... She didn't want me either..." you whimper. _Ok I already know that she was barely a mother and her diminished self confidence and pride made her lose care sometime before I started kindergarten, but I didn't know that she just wanted a better looking alternative to abortion..._

Karen gives you a sympathetic look and a side hug, which you gladly return. You feel Foggy put his hand on your shoulder which you grab to show appreciation, but then Matt kneels down beside you and whispers in your ear, "How about we take off early and grab a drink?"

"That sounds perfect right now," you answer back. "Anyone want to join us for drinks?"

"I think I will, my shift ends soon any way since we don't have a case." Karen joins in.

"Sure." came from Foggy. Foggy and Karen get up and start walking to the door, so you grab Matt's hand and walk behind them.

* * *

 

***at the bar and have been for a coupe hours***

"...and so I'll never again show up at the zoo wearing that shirt or that scented shampoo and conditioner again!" you conclude, finishing the story that has Matt, Foggy, Karen, and the bar tender laughing. When you first got to the bar, you were still devastated by the news, but after a few strong drinks,cheering up, and random stories from the group, you started to relax, if not a bit tipsy. Now about two hours later, you and Karen are much closer and you're having fun again with them again.

"Why? Why would you not do that again? Did you not enjoy the animals coming close to you?" Foggy grills you while still laughing his ass off.

"I didn't mind the little monkeys or cheetahs or lions, but the elephant freaked me the hell out! I ALMOST GOT HIT IN THE HEAD WITH A TRUNK!!" you howled with laughter.

"Ok, I think that's enough drinks for you; it's only almost 8, so you can't get drunk yet!" Karen exclaims. If only she knew what I was like drunk...

"Believe me, I'm not drunk. Drunk (Y/n) is _much_ worse. This is tipsy (Y/n), nice to meet you!" you kid and stick your hand out in a hand shake way. Matt and Karen laugh, and you order a glass of water because she _does_ make a point. After a few glasses, you're completely back to normal.

"Anyone want french fries? It's on me!" you offer the group.

"Free food!" Foggy and Karen exclaim at the same time. You and Matt laughter together at their joined outburst, then Matt agrees to fries, too.

"But I'm paying." he states.

"Nooooo I'm going to pay" you argue back and giggle.

"You already got groceries, you don't need to pay for even more food," he sets to you. Before you can say anything back, he turns to the bartender and says, "Excuse me, can we get two baskets of beer battered fries?-Thank you." You dramatically gasp, then playfully slap Matt's arm.

"Disgraceful!" imitate the man from earlier today, but way more dramatically. Matt bursts out laughing and puts on a fake hurt look.

"Oh how terribly awful of me, I'm paying for your french fries. I'm so sorry!" he jokes. You laugh before thanking him, and sneak in an unnoticed hand hold-n-squeeze. Random chatter replaced the jokes and stories until the fries arrived. Foggy and Karen share one basket, which left you and Matt to share the other. After a while, you're so into your fries that you don't realize that Karen is trying to get your attention until she taps your shoulder.

"You must really love your fries, don't you?" she laughs, and before you can apologize, she nods to a man across the bar, "Don't look now, but that guy over there is totally checking you out!" She wiggles her eyebrows at you in a teasing matter that throws you into a fit of giggles. _Might as well see who might possibly think I'm attractive, right?_ You look in the direction Karen nodded through your peripheral view and see a man staring in your direction with a swagger look plastered on his face. He had a sharp jaw line and slicked back black hair, but gave off a douche bag sort of vibe. He must of saw that you looked at him because he got out of his seat and started walking over to you.

You look at Karen while pretending to drink some water, and muttered to her under your breath, "Dear Lord Jesus help me, he's coming over here..." You made her snicker and you set your glass down. While her eyes were closed from her laughter and Foggy was digging into his fries, you looked at Matt and saw he jaw and fists clenching. Your immediate reaction makes you bring your hand to his knee and rub around it in circles. Once he relaxs and you know that he knows you're thinking of him, you remove your hand and act as though nothing happened so no one would suspect anything.

Seconds later, the man from across the bar comes over to you, rests his arm on your shoulder, and asks you smugly, "Say, why don't you introduce me to you're beautiful friend over here?" _PLOT TWIST!_

You nearly bust out in laughter when you see Karen's eyes pop out of her head, but you keep it under control so you can sound cool. You brush his elbow off your shoulder and mouth off with a "fight me I'm awesome" smirk, "Seeing how _amazing_ you are with introductions, why don't you do it yourself?"

At first he seems stunned that his stupid ass pick up line doesn't work, but he regains himself, "I-I-I think I will!" he stumbles before regaining his pompous confidence, "I couldn't help but notice you from across the bar. You seem fun, tight maybe, but I can make it work." What the hell kind of pick up line is that? _Is he fucking serious?_ You look Karen directly in the eyes and see that she's absolutely mortified. Foggy starts yelling something, but can't finish it because you reach up behind Mr. I-can't-get-a-date and smack him upside the head so hard his jaw drops.

"WHAT THE HELL IS YOUR PROBLEM???" he yells at you with his voice cracking. At this point, most of the bar is watching your lovely interaction with this cry baby. _Is this actually happening? He's so pathetic!_

"You, you big idiot! Now get the hell out of here or else I fuck you up so bad you won't be able to make that stupid ass smirk again!!" you threaten the idiot. _Wow I sounded pretty damn boss ass right there!_  You feel Matt touch your elbow, as though to calm you down, but when you look at him, you see pride and a bit of "easy there, tiger" written on him. You turn back to the man and he looks at you with such hurt hat you can practically see the confidence and pride spill right out of him. He leaves the bar hastily, and keeps looking back at you with a scared look. "You ok?" you ask Karen. She nods and smiles a bit at you.

"Yeah, I'm fine. That just really took me by surprise there! Thank you so much!" she expresses her gratitude to you.

"(Y/n), I swear you're going to start a bar fight tonight. BUT THAT WAS SO AWESOME!" Foggy shouts with amazement.

"That _was_ amazing, I didn't know you had it in you! You act so innocent sometimes!" Matt laughs. _After spending two weeks with me, he'll learn a lot, maybe more than he should!_

"Believe me, Matt, I'm not that innocent; I think of doing that kind of stuff all the time!" you reply.

"Well I think should celebrate!" Foggy announces. "Excuse me, can we get a round of shots with your best rum?" _Oh God, they're going to see me taking shots. This'll be interesting..._

"I don't think you want me taking shots" you direct to Foggy.

"Well now I definitely want you to!" he exclaims. The bar tender pushes a tray over with eight, filled shot glasses, and Foggy gives you a nod, "Everyone gets two, and (Y/n), you have to down yours as fast as you can, ok? No sipping."

"If I take shots, I mean it. I'm more concerned about y'all because then I'm gonna want to take more and more if its good, and I'm gonna get drunk and I don't think y'all could handle drunk me!" you inform them while laughing.

Foggy laughs and says to you, "Ok, fair enough. And I don't think that could of been more Texan, by the way."

You take a quick shot, earning some whoops from the group, and in an overly southern accent go, "Y'all, grab my beer and watch this, I'm fixin' to get my shot gun, y'all. Do what? Did y'all just say I don't have a beer? Ok then, y'all hold my over sized Texan, go big or go big coke! Even if it's a regular soda, it's coke, y'all. Y'all," you keep teasing, "Was that Texan enough, _y'all_?" Shocked silence roams over your part of the bar, then scattered silence starts filling it up again.

"I take back everything I have ever said. Everything. You win. _That_ was the most Texan thing to say!" Foggy announces with defeat.

"You may leave the south, but the south'll never leave you," you state before taking another shot. Cheers rang out at your shot taking, then it all dies down to regular chatter. About an hour passes with many more drinks and laughter. Foggy and Karen already left, so it was just you and Matt walking home with hands and fingers intertwined. Luckily you kept balancing your drinks with water, so you're barely tipsy. Right now, you're only a couple streets away. The yellow lights in the street lamps flicker, just like that night a few days ago... You shivered remembering every detail of your father coming up and pinning you to the wall, get screamed at and attacked... You jump when a breeze sweeps you back into the present. Matt feels your shiver and jump, so he takes his hand out of yours, then rubs it up and down your arm and wraps his arm around your waist.

He brings his lips to your temple and asks, "Are you alright?"

You sigh as you try to release your memories into the wind, then mutter back, "Yeah, just some memories. That, and it feels like I'm walking through Alaska." You laugh a bit, but it stops when Matt takes off his coat and offers it to you.

"NO! No, no, it's ok! We're not too far from the apartment, I wouldn't want you to get cold, too!" you try to deny. _Sure, it would be nice, but I don't want to deprive him from his jacket on a cold night like this! Seriously, it was like 40 degrees or something, maybe even 30..._

"It's fine, I'm not going to get cold." he convinces you. He offers his jacket again, and this time you take it.  _I don't want to seem rude or anything..._ When you put it on, you feel instant warmth. It smells just like Matt, of course, with a light alcohol smell (you _were_ just at a bar, after all) and rocks after spring rain. The bottom of the coat may go down right below his hips on him, but on you, it went down to almost mid thigh. Matt tries to take your hand again, but instead meets with fabric.

"Is it really that big on you?" he laughs. You look down at your hands and see that there are a good couple inches between the tips of your fingers and the outside world, which makes you giggle.

"Kind of," you say still giggly. You take his hand in yours, which is still covered in coat, and rest your head on his shoulder.

Soon enough you arrive back at the apartment. You walk to your duffel bag and open it, searching for something to sleep in. You find an over sized shirt with "221B BAKER STREET" and red and black checkered pajama shorts. You change in the bathroom, wash your face, brush your teeth, and put your hair in a low ponytail. You walk out of the bathroom and grab your medicine bottle, then take three of your sleeping pills.

You close the lid and start putting it away when Matt came up from behind you and asked, "About to go to bed?"  
"Yep." you respond.

"If you have another nightmare, you can come into my room. Or you can do that now and we can see if I can keep them away..." he asks you nervously, his cheeks painted red.

Your face heats up and you giggle from awkwardness and a tad bit of excitement before answering him, "I think it'd be better to go with you now; safety first and everything." A goofy grin spreads across his face, and you return one, too. You walk up to him and plant a peck on his cheeks before trickling your hands down from his shoulder to his hand. You grab a hold of it, then lead him into his bedroom. You let go of his hand so you can plop down on his bed and crawl under the covers. You watch him as he walks over to his side of the bed and joins you under the sheets. With the two of you facing each other, Matt wraps his arms around you and rests his forehead against yours. You close your eyes to sleep, but feel soft lips press themselves tenderly against your eyelids. Once they're gone, you open your eyes with a smile and kiss Matt's nose gently. You close your eyes again, and this time you fall into a peaceful sleep...

 

**Author's Note:**

> Guess who's back? Back again?  
> So it may or may not have been two years, but I'm back bigger and better than ever. I cleaned up this trash so it's actually readable now, so that's a thing. Mhm. That's it. Much love <3


End file.
